


The Overwhelming Presence of Death

by tessdebelle



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Don't trust the title, F/M, it's not as angsty as it sounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 05:56:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14664699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tessdebelle/pseuds/tessdebelle
Summary: But this… This he was sure of. This he knew exactly what he wanted.





	The Overwhelming Presence of Death

“We have a clean path to the zephyr from here, we might not get that chance again.”

“We’re not leaving till we finish the job.”

“Yes, you are.”

Coulson turned to her, not understanding her plan even if he trusted she knew what she was saying. “May?”

“I’ll deal with the missiles and get back to the base. You and Daisy get to the zephyr and go home.” She said, with a look of determination he so recognized. 

Deke placed a hand on her shoulder and May looked at him, almost offended by the gesture. He would have laughed had he not been working through the details of the plan in his mind. “Loving this plan. Good luck May.” He said. Coulson definitely didn’t like the idea of May staying on this alien ship, alone, and trying to get home. 

“You’re with me.” She said. 

The tension in his chest eased just a fraction. At least she would have backup, even if Deke… Didn’t really count. “I need you to set coordinates for the trip back.” She said.

On the one hand, he wasn’t in the best shape to fight. On the other, he didn’t want to leave her. “Right, because numbers. Yay.” Deke said.

Coulson turned back to her. “No. It’s too risky, we do it together.” He said. He wasn’t intending to let her go and even if he couldn’t provide much support in his state he’d do whatever he had to to protect her. 

She was about to respond when they heard footsteps, someone running towards them, and they all turned as Daisy quaked another alien. Daisy went after him and, for some reason, Deke followed her. Coulson turned back to May, as she said, “I’ll take care of it. Go home, Phil. Now.”

Her voice was commanding and hard. This wasn’t the May who had told him to stop feeling responsible for Talbot, this was the powerful woman who could taken on five men with just a knife and would do the same to him if he didn’t listen.

It was far too attractive to be healthy, but he shouldn’t even think about that. “Are you giving me an order? ‘Cause that sounded like you were giving me an order-”

“Yes, I’m giving you an order!” Fighting could be heard around the corner, but he was focused on the way her lips moved and her anger and fury and how protective she was. Of him. He was going to die and yet she was still willing to risk herself so he could get back safely. “You’re just gonna slow me down, so zip it and get to the -” More footsteps could be heard around the hall and they turned in one fluid motion to see one of the aliens holding a gun-like weapon and shooting at them.

Acting on instinct alone, Coulson threw up the shield attachment on his hand and pulled May in against him, behind its protection.

But then that meant he could see every detail of her face. Could see the warmth in her soft brown gaze, could see tiny scar on her chin, could only look at her lips and the way her own glanced at his. Her smell invaded him and the softness of her body pressed to his own, not an inch between them, and despite bullets raining down on them, despite the overwhelming presence of death that had always permeated their relationship, he found himself pressing his mouth to hers with the kind of ease that they’d never had.

The world, the aliens, the ship, all of it, disappeared. There was only Melinda’s arm touching his own and winding around his shoulder, her other hand finding purchase at his jacket and gripping it in her fist, the kind of gentleness she only showed to him and a select few others evident in her touch and her lips. He twisted his mouth with hers, opening it to tentatively explore her own and taste her. This was what he had been missing with the robot, this warmth, this sense of finally coming home. The world slowed to a near stop around them and he didn’t even feel the weight of the alien attacks or the sensation of pain in his chest. Phil only felt her lips on his own, so soft, so sweet and so supple. 

She tasted of tea and mint, an overwhelmingly soft combination that was somehow both not her at all and the essense of her person. His only conscious recognizing of the danger they were in was to tilt the shield so that more of it covered her body, and to fight the urge to put it down and bury that hand in her hair, to marvel in its softness, to marvel in her. 

The sounds of the fight were muted to him, and he was able to zero in on the soft noises of her, the sounds they made together as their lips moved, refusing to part. They had spent so long putting their work, their duty, in front of their hearts, that it only made sense that now they froze everything they had to do just so that they could have this moment. Right now, nothing else mattered. The only thing he cared about was that he, Phillip J. Coulson, was kissing Melinda Qiaolian May, and she was kissing him back.

The slamming of a body up against the nearest wall seemed to jolt Melinda out of the kiss, but he didn’t even notice at first as she pulled away. His head fell forward without the pressure of her mouth, so dazed that he didn’t even notice at first until he finally looked and let the shield go. He looked down at then back at her, at her face - the features of fear crossing it briefly even as he could hear her heavy breathing and see her slightly swollen and so, so soft lips. “Thought that might shut you up.” He said. “Now go.”

He brushed his hand to her waist and watched as she left. They’d have to talk about this when they returned, and he had no idea what it would mean, and he was still unsure about almost everything in his life. But this… This he was sure of. This he knew exactly what he wanted. 

He glanced at Daisy, who seemed slightly awestruck and at the same time very smug. “Uh....” 

“Not a word, Agent Johnson. That’s an order.” He said smirking. He was sure Daisy would have many questions, but they could wait. He still had a lot of his own. 

“Copy that, hot lips.” She said following him with an obvious smirk in her voice.

He was never going to hear the end of this. And he didn’t particularly want to.


End file.
